Real Madrid's Perfect Start Ahead of Betis Clash

Real Madrid head to Seville on Friday night with a perfect record, a growing swagger and a medical bulletin that tells its own story about how hard they have been pushing early in the season.

Three games, three wins, 10 goals scored, none conceded. The 4-0 demolition of Malaga at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday – with Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappe and Arda Guler all on the scoresheet – underlined the depth of attacking options at Jose Mourinho’s disposal. It still was not enough to put them top, with Barcelona only ahead on goal difference, but the tone has been set.

Now comes Real Betis away, a traditionally awkward trip, made more intriguing by Betis’s wild 5-2 defeat to Levante after opening with back-to-back victories. Madrid arrive in rhythm. Not quite at full strength.

Tchouameni and Endrick edging closer

The good news for Mourinho sits in midfield. Aurelien Tchouameni, yet to play a minute this season because of a muscle injury, is closing in on a return. The club list him as a minor doubt, with the trip to Betis on September 4 pencilled in as a possible comeback date.

Mourinho does not want to gamble. The Frenchman’s physical profile and importance to Madrid’s structure mean any setback would be costly, so his involvement is likely to be carefully managed, whether from the start or off the bench.

Up front, there is a similar sense of cautious optimism around Endrick. The Brazilian teenager has missed the first three league fixtures with a muscular issue, but there is a realistic chance he makes a matchday squad for the first time this season on Friday. Even 15 or 20 minutes from him would add another dimension to an attack already humming with Bellingham’s late surges, Mbappe’s movement and Guler’s finesse.

Long-term absentees shape Mourinho’s plans

The rest of the update is far less encouraging and helps explain some of Mourinho’s early-season selections.

At the back, Eder Militao remains out with a hamstring injury sustained against Alaves on April 21. His rehabilitation is progressing, but the expectation is that he will not feature before the first international break of the campaign. Until then, the central defensive pairing will stay under strain, with little margin for rotation.

Rodrygo’s situation is even more severe. The forward is not expected to return until the early stages of 2027 after a serious knee injury suffered in March. For all the excitement around Mbappe and the emergence of Guler, losing a player of Rodrygo’s versatility and big-game pedigree for such an extended spell reshapes the attacking hierarchy.

Raul Asencio’s case is more complicated. The defender, linked with a possible summer exit, missed the start of the season with a quadricep problem. That issue has cleared up, only for him to suffer a separate problem in the same leg. Medical staff now face a decision: conservative treatment or surgery. If he goes under the knife, the expected rehabilitation window is six to eight weeks, which would push his return well into the autumn.

On the left side of defence, Ferland Mendy’s absence stretches deep into the calendar. A thigh injury has ruled him out of the first-team picture until the latter stages of 2026, stripping Mourinho of an experienced, defensively solid option in a key position and forcing Madrid to lean heavily on alternatives.

Midfielder Thiago Pitarch is another long-term concern. He damaged his knee in the very first training session of pre-season. He is back on the grass and working with the ball, a significant step, but there is still no clear timeline for when he will be considered ready for competitive action.

No bans, full responsibility

If there is one clean line on Mourinho’s pre-Betis sheet, it is the disciplinary column. Real Madrid have no players suspended for Friday’s La Liga fixture.

No bans, no excuses. A perfect start on the line, a hostile Benito Villamarin waiting, and a squad walking the tightrope between early-season momentum and the risk of pushing fragile bodies too far, too soon.